When we were young dust carts were a fraction of the size of them today. Why? ; because product was sold loose in paper bags or paper wrappings, and the glass jars were filled with yummy product, but once finished with could be sold for recycling at 1d each!
Not a plastic wrapping in sight, and even cans of beans etc were limited and did not have the product range of today. Even the glass pop bottles were recycled for the deposit back, or once more sold by us kids at 1d each for recycling. Paper, like newspapers, were often used in the toilet or burnt as fire lighters for our open coal fires, which also disposed of other easily destroyed product.
We now live in a chuck away, plastic and packaging dominated, society that now MUST change. Did anyone see that BBC programme
Drowning in Plastic? My generation should feel very ashamed as WE have let this happen! Hopefully the next ruling generations will be a lot better at recycling and ridding ourselves of plastic for everything than we have been!
As for the history of rubbish dumps, the Victorian ones are now fascinating for producing classic fish paste (ceramic) jars and cod top bottles, let alone other interesting items. No plastic and these dumps are tiny compared to the amount of 'dumps' or disposal facilities we need now.